Blood Bonds
by Niamh Cyneburg
Summary: Rachel and Leah have sworn to be sisters, and they have the scars to prove it. But normal playground promises don't usually have mystical bonds as well. What happens if they do? Ties in with my 'Howling At The Moon' Universe but can be stand-alone


**A/N:** Hey there, my first one-shot, so be kind when reviewing please?

* * *

><p><strong>Blood Bonds Doth Sisters Make<strong>

"Rachel… Rebecca!" yelled a young girl with pigtails, across the playground of their school. "Wait for me"

2 identical little girls paused in their journey across the field and turned to wait for their friend to catch up to them. The twins were a little older than the girl currently standing next to them and panting, but they were friends nonetheless. "Wow.. how fast did you guys walk? I only left home a little later than normal."

"We cheated," giggled one dark haired girl, while the other laughed out loud. "Mommy wanted to see Jake off to his first day of school, so we convinced Daddy to give us a ride too."

"Jakes here?" the third girl asked. "Hmm.. I guess Seth will be old enough for school pretty soon too huh… that would be so weird… all he does right now is suck his thumb and cry when I leave for school… Mama says he starts getting excited when it's time for me to get home." she told the others. Rachel turned to her twin and asked, "Becca, do we have the same first period, or are they splitting us up this time?" Rebecca Black looked down at her class schedule before sighing and shaking her head. "Yup.. they probably think we might cause a mixup again."

Leah Clearwater giggled and added, "OK… last time might not have been your fault, but you didn't even say anything until they made your mom come in."

"They shouldn't have made us eat all that yucky spinach stuff then..." Rachel stated decisively. "It was worse than broccoli," her twin added, all three of them shuddering at the mention of the dreaded vegetable. "Ok Let's go then." Rebecca stated, all three of them heading inside and to their respective classes.

Billy Black and Harry Clearwater were great friends, but their wives were closer than the two men could ever be. Sue and Sarah had been best friends for years. They had grown up together, learned to laugh and love, hurt and heal, with each other for company. When they had married, they were pleased to discover that soon after Sarah and Billy's twins were born, Sue and Harry welcomed their own little girl into the world. Billy and Harry had laughed about it, saying that their girls would probably all be friends as well, if their mothers had anything to do with it. Charlie Swan had smiled at the thought, and he had his dreams of his own little girl joining in on that close-knit bond. Those were dashed much later, but this was a simpler time for them all.

Rachel and Rebecca were as close as twins could be, but Rachel and Leah had their own special bond. While Rebecca would readily settle down with a book to read, the other two would prefer to run around outside, or go for a walk even. And yet, they somehow made this work for them.

One day, not long after the start of the school year, Jake came home in tears. His older sisters immediately demanded to know what was wrong. No-one messed with their little brother and got away with it. No-one but them, that is. Sniffling loudly, he proceeded to tell them all about how the older kids in the playground had all got together behind the swings after snack time. They had chased the smaller ones away, but he, Embry and Quil, had been hidden behind a bush, and they overheard what the older boys were talking about. They were going to make a blood bond. When he said this, Rachel gasped and Rebecca grabbed his hands and checked them all over for any signs of having cut himself. He looked confused and then, in an adorably curious voice, asked, "Wachel… what's a blood bonder?"

The both of them burst out laughing and their mother came in just then, asking them what was so funny. They waited until their father had Jake distracted, before they told her, making sure she knew her youngest wasn't slicing himself open. He had been crying because the older kids had left them out. Not like he even knew what a blood bond was.

When Leah came over for their usual Friday night sleepover, they made sure to tell her all about it. She needed to know what the kinder-gartners and pre-schoolers went through. Seth would be there soon, and as older sister, she wanted to know about everything so she could protect him.  
>He was her little brother, so no-one else was allowed to mess with him except her. She had made this very clear to him on his first birthday. She had put him in his crib and then sat down next to it, and explained in great detail, that because she was older than him, it was her job to drive him crazy, but if anyone else said or did anything, he was supposed to come straight to her. Not mom or dad, but her. That was the first day Seth came close to saying her name. He had grinned toothily at her, displaying the fine number of pearly-whites he had. A grand total of 1. But from that day on, to Seth at least, she was Leh. Not Leah, not Lee-Lee.<br>Just Leh.

After hearing all about Jake's upset, Leah herself wanted to know more about the whole blood bond issue. What was it? How did people do it? Rachel and Rebecca explained it to her in great detail, and the excitement of talking about stuff they knew they shouldn't be even thinking of, was enough to keep them all awake until the wee hours of the morning. Bleary eyed at the breakfast table, the three of them made plans to play out in the backyard all morning until Harry came by to pick up Leah. As they took a break from their version of Tag, Rebecca noticed that Leah was being unusually quiet.

"Leah, you ok? You don't look so good. Should I get my mom?" she asked. "No, I'm fine. I was just thinking. You know how you and Rachel have each other?" The twins nodded. "Well, Jake has you guys… Seth has me, I guess…. But who do I have?" she looked forlorn. Rachel stepped forward, "You have us Leah… you know that."  
>Leah nodded, but still looked unconvinced. "But you guys are twins… I'm just your friend."<p>

Rachel looked at her for a long moment, before nodding her head and saying, "Wait here." Rebecca and Leah exchanged confused glances and then stared after Rachel, as she snuck into the kitchen, and was back outside almost immediately holding one of her mother's kitchen knives. Leah's eyes widened while Rebecca gasped. "Rach… take that back right now.. Mom will kill us. You know we're not supposed to touch kitchen stuff unless she says to."

"Oh shush Becks… We are going to make Leah our sister. Right now," Rachel announced. Leah and Rebecca went right back to their staring, until Rachel's impatient huff snapped them out of it. "I asked Mom about blood bonds and she told me it was when people cut their fingers or something and made each other their brother or sister." Rebecca looked terrified at the prospect of shedding any blood. "Bu.. B… But we're sisters already Rach… I d…do'….don't want to cut my hand," she wailed. Leah looked decidedly green around the edges as well. "Are.. are you sure about this Rach?" her voice shook.  
>"Yes I am… look.. it wont even hurt that much," she muttered, nicking her palm with the blade in her hand. Leah gulped and then followed suit. Rebecca looked like she was about to pass out, as she took the knife from Rachel. Holding it in her hand, she looked at her twin.<br>As she was about to make an incision on her hand, they heard a booming voice from the kitchen doorway, "What on earth are you girls doing?" Sarah shrieked. "Drop that knife right this instant Rebecca Black. Rachel, Leah, come in here right now and let me clean you up." Terrified that her mother was not going to let them finish this whole blood bonding ritual, Rachel stood frozen for a second and then decided that if she was going to be punished, then she was at least going to accomplish what she had set out to do.  
>Make the punishment worth something.<p>

Reaching out, she grabbed Leah's cut palm in her injured hand and looked her right in the eye, before stating, "You, Leah Clearwater, are my sister." Sarah stopped cold at what she was watching, and then she swooped down on them, carrying them off to the bathroom, where wounds were washed and bandages doled out. This was immediately followed by a lecture on what they were allowed to do and what they were never to touch in the kitchen again. Once Sarah had sent them back to the living room to watch TV, she shook her head and made her way to her and Billy's bedroom, so she could call Sue in private and tell her what the three had been upto.

Meanwhile, in the living room, Rebecca was in tears, because she was the only one who hadn't gotten around to shedding any blood for their bond. Leah decided that the girl was getting way too upset for her liking, so she hugged Rebecca before saying, "Your mom stopped you before you could do anything Becks… so don't worry about it. Besides, look at it this way. You and Rach are twins, and if Rach and I are blood bonded, then you and I are as well, right?" The other girl, tears in her eyes, hugged Leah hard, not letting go, even when she felt her twin hugging them both. Settling down to watch a movie that Sarah had put in for them, they fell asleep all tangled up together.

In a few months, the blood bond they had made lay long forgotten, as they moved on with life and school and everything else that came upon them.

* * *

><p>Bu t the bond was still there, and when there is magic in the blood of a blood bond, it will show itself, sooner or later.<p>

* * *

><p>Years passed, and the three of them went their separate ways. Rachel surprised no-one when she decided to move away to go to college. The house, with all the memories of her mother, was a place that hurt her heart too much for her to stay. Rebecca had no idea what she was going to do without her twin, but the Spirits were kind. They had seen how lost she would be without her other half, so they sent her someone to fill that void.<br>Ian Cleary was a good man. A competitive surfer, he had travelled the globe in search of the perfect wave. He had had to come to a small Indian reservation in Washington State though, to be swept off his feet. A whirlwind romance, and intimate ceremony later, he and his bride were on their way to his home in Hawaii. Rebecca had found her place in the world.

Leah had long thought that she had already found hers. Sam Uley was everything she had ever wanted. And then the unthinkable had happened. He disappeared for 2 weeks. No trace of him. He had come back just as suddenly, and could tell her nothing of what had happened to him. He had told her they would work it out. And then, when she had started to believe him, he had left her again – permanently. He had fallen in love with her cousin.  
>And then her father had died. Harry Clearwater, her rock, her one main-stay, the man who called her princess. He had gone and he was never coming back. That was the night Leah Clearwater had lost everything.<p>

That was also the night she had phased for the first time.

As her body ripped itself apart to make way for its new form, her mind was screaming in agony, the pain of everything she had lost, coming to the fore-front. Knowing for sure now, why Sam had had no choice in leaving her. What Emily's scars really were. Why Jake, Embry, Quil and even her brother had changed so much lately.  
>Terrified, she went with her instincts; she lifted her head to the sky and let loose a long mournful howl at the moon.<p>

Miles away, in her dorm room at the University of Washington, Rachel Black jackknifed out of bed, her heart pounding. Something was wrong. She didn't know how she knew that. But she did. And it was to do with Leah. Another thing she had no idea how she knew. But she did. Something was wrong with her friend. Her head told her it was her imagination. But her heart said something else. And anyone who knew her, could tell you which one Rachel put first.

"Sue… Its Rachel Black.. I am so so so sorry. I know its horribly late. But please, can I talk to Leah. Its urgent and … and I really don't know how to explain it, but I NEED to speak to her Sue. Please… I.. I just need to know if she's ok." Sue Clearwater choked back a sob and spoke softly. "I'm sorry Rachel, but Leah can't come to the phone right now. She isn't herself at the moment. But I will make sure that she calls you back as soon as she can. I promise you that."

On her end, Rachel closed her eyes, and said thank you before hanging up. It would be days before she heard from Leah, and as soon as she did, she knew something had changed. And whatever her friend was not telling her, it had something to do with the way she had woken that night. Blood Bonds did exist after all.

Rachel Black would soon find out, that the mystical world had literally been at her door-step her entire life. And it wasn't very long before she realized that her destiny belonged with one of its inhabitants.

* * *

><p>AN: Hi there! Hope you guys liked my attempt at a one-shot. Now while this can be a stand-alone, it also ties in with the universe I have imagined in my story 'Howling At The Moon' and you can find that one on my profile page. Please review!


End file.
